Study Buddies
by Cassandra Mulder
Summary: Clark's about to realize what he has.


**Title: **Study Buddies  
**Author: **Cassandra Mulder  
**Rating: **PG  
**Classification: **Smallville; Chloe/Clark  
**Disclaimer: **AlMiles, Tollin Robbins, DC, and the WB own all. Don't sue.  
**Distribution: **Ask and ye shall receive.  
**Summary: **Clark's about to realize what he has.  
**Word Count: **1155  
**Author's Notes: **This is for fanfic100's 'Beginnings' prompt, and is the first in a series of four. Look out for the other three soon. :)

* * *

It had been three months, two weeks, four days, six hours, twenty-three minutes, and seven seconds since Clark had broken up with Lana Lang.

Things had gotten difficult with them both going to different colleges, and the more Chloe nagged him about telling Lana his secret, the more he realized that it was never going to happen. As much as he had wanted to believe otherwise, deep in his heart he knew that if he told her she would only be afraid of him. Even with the slight chance she wouldn't be, he couldn't bring himself to find out. He finally came to the conclusion that it wasn't fair to him to be with someone he couldn't trust with everything, and it wasn't fair to her to not have full disclosure.

She had almost seemed relieved when he broke up with her, and, to his surprise, he had been, too. They remained friends, but it felt good to have her out of his system. He still cared for her, but at the same time he found out that some dreams aren't all they're cracked up to be.

Then he found out sometimes you have dreams you didn't even _know_ you had.

It had been two months, two weeks, four days, six hours, twenty-four minutes, and fifty-nine seconds since Clark had realized he was in love with Chloe Sullivan.

That opened up another, entirely unexpected, can of worms in his already messy life.

For weeks he had been trying to figure out how to ask her out, but it wasn't that easy. He had let her down before, and she had to know this time that he was for real. At the same time, he didn't want to give her a massive coronary, but slipping "I suddenly realized that I'm in love with you" into a casual conversation wasn't going to work. Clark was not smooth with words, and Chloe was the one person on earth he couldn't fool.

"Clark? Claaaaark!" the girl in question said from across the makeshift table in her dorm room. She snapped her fingers in front of his face. "Earth to Clark!"

He blinked. "Oh, sorry. What?"

She rolled her eyes. "What is with you lately? I just asked you if you want that last piece of pizza three times, and nothin'."

"No, you can have it," he said with a weak smile. They had ordered a medium pizza for dinner while they studied together, and he had a feeling that she had eaten most of it. He hadn't really been paying much attention.

"Are you feeling all right?" she asked, biting into the slice.

"I'm fine," Clark lied. "Are they feeding you here?" he teased.

Chloe resisted the urge to stick out her tongue at him. "I guess they try. The food's only truly edible about two days out of the week, plus with classes, homework, and the Planet, I've been living on Pop Tarts and instant mac and cheese. This pizza might as well be a home cooked meal."

"I'm sorry. I'm sure Mom wouldn't mind making extra sometimes and I could run it up here. I'd hate to see you starve," he smirked.

Chloe smiled. "Ha. I couldn't ask her to do that, Clark."

"She'd be happy to. Even if you refuse, I might still suggest it."

"I can't stop you from 'suggesting'," she laughed. "My dad's cooking and Smallville High's mystery meat combined cannot compare to the horror of Met U's mystery meat. The cafeteria's very empty that day."

Clark looked down at his book and back up at Chloe.

"Is history boring you?" she asked with a mock pout.

"Yes... No... I just..."

She reached out and felt his forehead. "You said you can't get sick. But I'm not convinced at the moment..."

He took her wrist and lowered her hand. "I'm not sick, Chloe. I've -" He took a deep breath. "I just wanted to ask you... Do you want to go out sometime?" There, it was out in the open. He had never wanted to run so far, so fast in his life.

Chloe blinked, completely confused. She looked from where he was still loosely holding her wrist, to his face, and back again. She suddenly wished she knew how to check if she was in a parallel universe of some kind. If Clark was asking what she thought he was asking, that would definitely be the first sign.

She stared at her lap, frantically searching for words.

"You mean, like, a _date_?" she finally said uncertainly.

"Yes, like a date," he confirmed, and he slid her hand into his.

The reality of the situation was beginning to hit her, and she was sure she looked it, too.

"Uh, well..." She frowned. She hated even having to ask, but if she didn't she knew she would just be kicking herself later. "Don't take this the wrong way, Clark, but are you sure this isn't a... rebound thing?" She winced. If Clark was looking for an awkward evening, he had just done a heck of a job creating one.

He couldn't blame her for the question, but he shook his head. "Not even remotely. You're everything I never knew I always wanted."

Chloe burst out laughing. Clark looked horrified, and she squeezed his hand. "No, that's sweet, Clark. I just could've sworn I heard that in a... Nevermind." If Clark watched romantic comedies in his spare time, that was his business. It was a nice sentiment, wherever it had come from.

"I do want to go out with you. That's why I kind of wondered if it was a trick question at first," she teased.

He looked relieved and she gave him a brilliant smile.

He knew he would have to give her good reason to trust him, but he wouldn't mess up this time. She was way too important to him.

"Not a trick. I know we haven't had our date yet, but... I love you, Chloe. I know that now."

Tears welled up in her eyes, and she blinked, willing them not to fall. She took her hand back to wipe them away, and Clark looked a little wary. She had waited so long to hear those words from him, never really believing he would ever say them, and now that he had all she wanted to do was cry.

"Sorry," she said lamely. "I don't know... I love you, too, Clark. I always have, you big, dumb alien," she said with a watery laugh.

Clark grinned. "I deserved that."

"Yes, you did." She launched herself over the table and threw her arms around him.

Clark returned her embrace, and stood up with her, her arms still around his neck. It had been three minutes and thirty-five seconds since he had told Chloe Sullivan he loved her, and he never knew new beginnings could feel so good.

Finis


End file.
